Watch for symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging
from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after
exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

 Fever or chills
 Cough
 Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
 Fatigue
 Muscle or body aches
 Headache
 New loss of taste or smell
 Sore throat
 Congestion or runny nose
 Nausea or vomiting
 Diarrhea

When to seek emergency medical attention

Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of

these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

 Trouble breathing
 Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
 New confusion
 Inability to wake or stay awake
 Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any
other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator
that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Caring for yourself or others

 How to protect yourself

 How to care for someone who is sick
  What to do if you are sick

What is the difference between Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19?

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they
are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new
coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza
viruses. Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may
be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and
testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share
many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.

While more is learned every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-
19 and the virus that causes it. This page compares COVID-19 and flu, given the
best available information to date.